Translation of the Vulture Stele of Eanatum (also spelled Eannatum) from the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative, CDLI P222400 (reverse) and CDLI P222399 (obverse).
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The inscriptions on the reverse (back) of the Vulture Stele.
[...] = damaged text { } = explanatory comments
For Ningirsu,
Eanatum, the ruler of Lagash, nominated by Enlil, given strength by Ningirsu, chosen by the heart of Nanshe, fed wholesome milk by Ninhursaga, called a good name by Inanna, given wisdom by Enki, beloved by Dumuzi-abzu, trusted by Hendursag, beloved friend of Lugalurub, son of Akurgal, the ruler of Lagash,
for Ningirsu, {the city of} Girsu he restored. The walls of the Holy City he built for him. For Nanshe, the {city of} Nigin he built.
By Eanatum Elam, the awesome mountain range, was defeated, and its tumuli {burial mounds} he heaped up. The Standard of Uru, though by its ruler it had been set up at the head (of it), he defeated it, and its tumuli he heaped up. Umma he defeated, and its 20 tumuli he heaped up. To Ningirsu, his beloved field, the Gu'edena, he returned.
Uruk he defeated. Ur he defeated. Kiutu he defeated. Iriaz he destroyed, and its ruler he killed. Mishime he destroyed. Arua he obliterated.
Before Eanatum, the one nominated by Ningirsu, all the lands trembled.
In the year that the king of Akshak rose up, Eanatum, the one nominated by Ningirsu, from the Antasura of Ningirsu Zuzu, the king of Akshak, all the way back to Akshak he smote, and he obliterated it.
At that time, Eanatum, Eanatum being his own name while his Tidnu(?) name is Lumma, for Ningirsu a new canal he dug, and “Good Like Lumma” he named it
Eanatum, a man subject to the word of Ningirsu, because Eanatum, the ruler of Lagash, by Inanna was loved, together with the rulership of Lagash the kingship of Kish she gave to him.
Before Eanatum, Elam trembled, and the Elamite he sent back to his land.
Kish trembled before him. The king of Akshak he sent back to his land.
Eanatum, the ruler of Lagash, the subjugator of the many foreign lands of Ningirsu, Elam, Subartu, and Uru via the Carp Water (canal) he defeated.
Kish, Akshak, and Mari via the Antasura of Ningirsu he defeated.
For Ningirsu the Good Like Lumma (canal) he placed alongside, and he presented it to him. Eanatum, given strength by Ningirsu, the dam of the Good Like Lumma (canal) with 3600 gur-measures (containing) 2 UL (each) of bitumen he built.
Eanatum, a man subject to the word of Ningirsu, whose (personal) god is Shul-MUSHxPA, the palace Tirash he built for him.
He is the son of Akurgal, the ruler of Lagash, and his grandfather was Ur-Nanshe, the ruler of Lagash.
The inscriptions on the obverse (front) of the Vulture Stele.
[…] ... its subsistance rations he reduced. Its grain rent he took away. The king of Lagash […]
In the ... of ... the ruler of Umma, an aggressive act he committed against it, and into Lagash, up to its frontier he pressed.
Akurgal,king of Lagash, son of Ur-Nanshe, king of Lagash, […]
The ruler of Umma an aggressive act he committed against it, and into Lagash, because of its own possessions, up to its frontier he again pressed.
The ... Lion of the Heart of the Princely Way, Ningirsu, in his (own) voice he made a claim(?) within the wind: Umma my settled grasses, my own possessions, in the field of the Gu'edena, Lagash shall ... its .... Lord Ningirsu, the hero of Enlil, ... he does proclaim(?).
Ningirsu the semen of Eanatum in the womb he did implant. [...] he rejoiced over him. Inanna took a place at his side. For “the Eanna of Inanna of the Great Oval He is Fitting” she named him, and Ninhursaga, on her right knee, she had her seat him. Ninhursaga her right breast she extended to him. Over Eanatum, the one whose semen was implanted in the womb by Ningirsu, Ningirsu rejoiced. Ningirsu, his span he laid upon him. Five cubits it was, his span he laid upon him. Five cubits, one span!
Ningirsu, with great joyfulness, the kingship of Lagash he gave to him.
The ... of the god ..., Eanatum, the mighty, proclaims: It is an enemy land because of him! For Eanatum, the name by which Inanna had called him, (namely) “For the Eanna of Inanna of the Great Oval he is Fitting”, I have set(?) as the name of him. His name in heaven and earth.
[...] Eanatum, one having strength, nominated by Ningirsu, Eanatum, that it should be established as an enemy land because of him, as an eternal thing, he proclaimed. “The ruler of Umma, where has he (ever) been appeased? With ... men ... the Gu'edena, the beloved field of Ningirsu, he has been able to exploit. Let him be cast down!”
By An, numerous ... [...] after him they followed.
To him who lay sleeping, to him who lay sleeping, he came to stand by his head. To Eanatum, him who lay sleeping, his beloved king, Ningirsu, came to stand by his head. {Ningirsu is speaking to Eannatum in a dream} […] “Umma, like Kish, shall therefore wander about, and by means of ones seized by anger(?) shall surely be removed. On your right side, Utu [the sun god] I shall let come forth upon you. On your forehead [...] I shall let be bound upon you.”
Enanatum […] him I shall smite, and their myriad corpses I shall make stretch to the horizon. Umma ... […] They shall raise a hand against him, and in the heart of Umma they shall kill him. Usurdu, by name, {Usurdu led a rebellion against the king of Umma while Eanatum was attacking the city.} […]
They fought each other, and towards Enanatum a man shot an arrow. He was penetrated by the arrow, but he broke it off(?). In front of them he made noises with ... A man of the wind ... [...] Eanatum, in Umma like a destructive storm of rain he left behind a deluge. […]
Eanatum, a man of just words, had a border territory from Umma marked off, and under the control of Umma he left it. He erected a stele in that place.
The ruler of Umma […] Umma he defeated, and twenty tumuli for it he heaped up there. Eanatum, wept over with sweet tears (of joy) by Shul-mushxPA, {Eanatum’s personal god}
Eanatum, […] Eanatum, for Ningirsu obliterated many foreign lands. Eanatum to Ningirsu, his beloved field the Gu'edena, he returned. […] The fields by his side, the interest-bearing places of Ningirsu, [...] The Emah [...] he erected a stele. […] of Ningirsu, Eanatum [...] of Ningirsu, his (personal) god Shul-MUShxPA, the field Bara […] the field ..., the field Gesugga, the field ..., the field ..., the field ..., the field ..., the field ..., the field ..., the field ..., […] Eanatum, the one nominated by Ningirsu, he returned it to him.
To the ruler of Umma Eanatum, the great casting-net of Enlil he gave to him, and had him swear by it. The ruler of Umma to Eanatum does swear: “By the life of Enlil, king of heaven and earth, the fields of Ningirsu I shall exploit as an interest-bearing loan. I shall operate the levees up to the spring, and forever and ever(?) over the boundary territory of Ningirsu I shall not cross. To its levees and irrigation ditches I shall not make changes. Its steles I shall not smash to bits. On a day when I may cross over it, the great casting-net of Enlil, king of heaven and earth, by which I have sworn, upon Umma may it fall from the sky!”
Eanatum was furthermore very clever. Two doves they were, he put kohl on their eyes and spread cedar (resin) on their heads. For Enlil, king of heaven and earth, toward Nippur in the Ekur he released them. {to carry the promises to Enlil}
"To Enlil, my king, over what he has declared and what he has reiterated, the ruler of Umma as one having come back with a claim, if he shall impede it, or produce a claim (about it), on the day when these words he may alter, the great casting-net of Enlil, by which he has sworn, upon Umma may it fall from the sky!"
